Alumnus' book guides young grads through the interview process

MechSE alumnus Peter Chien (BSME 2022) authored “The Ultimate Guide to the Mechanical Engineering Interview,” which provides sample and practice interview questions as well as review topics. The book has roughly 90+ technical and behavioral interview questions and solutions inspired by real interviews with companies.

As an underclassman, Chien struggled to find helpful resources when he was preparing for internship interviews. The lack of study material later motivated him to create a resource for MechSE students that would support them in their job searches and foster a community of students who could look out for each other. By the time he wrote the book, he had a lot of practice giving interviews and was able to share his experiences.

Although he wrote the book alone, Chien consulted his friends for interview questions and later created a second edition with even more practice questions. He beta-launched the first version on Etsy to gauge interest, then published it on Amazon, where he received many great reviews.

He also said that he has not worked on marketing this book much or made many profits off the book, as he believes he doesn't need to. The book, as he said, is there to help others and provide an additional resource that he wished was available to him when he was in school. “When I was an underclassman, it was impossible to find study material for technical interviews,” Chien said.

To access Chien’s book for free, visit mechanicalengineeringinterview.com and use coupon code ILLINI.